CBS/AP/ January 16, 2013, 10:26 AM

Portland woman trapped between buildings rescued

Rescue crews work to free a woman trapped between two buildings in downtown Portland.

Rescue crews work to free a woman trapped between two buildings in downtown Portland. / CBS

PORTLAND, Ore. Portland firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free an Oregon woman who fell part of the way down a 20-foot wall and got herself stuck between two buildings Wednesday morning.

The woman spent about four hours in a space 8 to 10 inches wide before rescuers managed to free her as television cameras filmed much of the effort.

Lt. Rich Chatman of the Portland fire department, wearing a blue helmet and harness, climbed into the hole cut by rescuers to help apply the soapy substance.

After the woman surfaced at 7:30 a.m., she raised her face, clenched her fists and shouted, "Oh, my God."

Rescuers had built a platform beneath the woman and had turned on a portable heater to keep her warm in temperatures just above freezing. The air bag was used to spread the walls.

Firefighters said they initially reached the woman by using tools used in earthquake rescues, CBS affiliate KOIN reports.

"She was in good spirits," Chatman said. "We just tried to reassure her ... we weren't going home without her."

Firefighters said they hadn't gotten a clear explanation of the woman's predicament. Chatman said she had been seen smoking or walking on the roof of a two-story building before she fell.

Authorities didn't immediately name the woman.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
16 Comments Add a Comment
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nygurl1 says:
I can see the intelligencia is out in full force today.
I am so tired of reading idiotposts!
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Jamesw27 says:
wearing a blue helmet and harness, climbed into the hole cut by rescuers to help apply the soapy substance.

Sounds like porn to me
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CuriousServant says:
My wife and I were watching this on the news before work this morning (we live about 20 miles from there).

A resident there said the woman was walking around saying she needed help getting into an apartment... though it seems she may not have lived there. She wasn't very coherent while being rescued... she was so freaked out, but the resident felt she may have been trying to break into an apartment.

There is, as usual, much more to the story.
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PourpaixPourpaix says:
Ahhhh, the perks of management. It's always the lieutenants who get to soap up the girls when duty calls.
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ws11 says:
Probally smoken crak up there.
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chuckterzella says:
Keeping Portland Weird...
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cbsjane says:
RE: Scrumpto. Ha Ha Ha Ha!!! You made my day!! Would you post that on every comment section? It would be a full time job but it would also be awesome. Have a great day.
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Scrumpto replies:
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I wish I had the time! But then i am subjected to reading all the moronic comments. Its a catch-22... :)
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mari1963 says:
Who walks on the top of a building and smokes and texts? This woman sounds dumb !
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wtcmedic911 says:
Darwin award!! Dumb twit!
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Uneed2BWeened says:
Texting and walking on a roof is not smart.
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